MALWAREBYTES reports that in its privacy pulse survey, 90% of respondents said they’re worried about AI using their data without consent, a figure drawn from 1,200 responses gathered from readers of the Malwarebytes newsletter earlier this year. The article notes that 88% do not freely share personal information with AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, and 84% have not shared personal health information with AI tools, with 43% having stopped using ChatGPT and 42% stopping use of Gemini.
It also highlights a broader pattern of concern, pointing to 92% worried about personal data being used inappropriately by corporations and 74% about government misuse, with the sample largely from the US, UK, Canada and Australia. The piece argues this distrust is shaping online behaviour and policy, citing that 91% of respondents support national laws regulating how companies handle personal data, and noting regulatory developments such as the European Union’s AI Act passed in 2024. It concludes that while AI offers benefits, trust and clear guardrails are increasingly central to how people choose to interact with AI tools.